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Dominic Monaghan follows his wild dreams

Lord of the Rings star Dominic Monaghan follows his wild dreams in his nature TV show Wild Things

After making us laugh in the Lord of the Rings films, Dominic Monaghan brings his sense of humour and adventure to a new project. The actor tells reporter Melanie Leung of Young Post about his passion for wildlife and attitude to danger.

Dominic Monaghan waves cheerfully to a group of monkeys in Thailand. “Well, it was nice to meet you. Bye!” He laughs as the biggest one prances forward, screeching at him. Monaghan is as brave, smart and funny as his famous role of Merry in Lord of the Rings – though he’s a lot taller than the one-metre hobbit.

When he’s not acting, Monaghan travels the world. He picks a place that has an animal he wants to see, and goes there. “It’s a very simple way of travelling for me because it adds in a natural adventure and keeps me interested,” he says.

Two months after pitching the idea to a producer, Monaghan and cameraman Frank Vilaca got on a plane for Ecuador to make the first episode of Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, a TV series documenting their adventures.

Monaghan has been a nature lover all his life. He was first fascinated by insects, and his passion grew to encompass all sorts of mammals, reptiles, fish, birds and amphibians. His clear blue eyes can spot the most elusive wild creatures hiding among the rocks and bushes, and he is able to identify the species right away. He’s established himself as the wildlife expert of celebrities, and is frequently asked questions on social media.